At the Modilon General Hospital in Madang on the north-east coast of Papua New Guinea, Interplast-trained plastic surgeon Dr John Maihua has been working hard for the future of his people by establishing a local plastic and hand surgery unit.
With the support of visiting Interplast mentors, he has also been developing the skills of allied health services, such as physiotherapists, to play a role in ensuring better outcomes for patients.
Developing this ‘team approach’, which we take for granted in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, is a big challenge in many countries across the Asia Pacific, where medical professionals often work in isolation within their speciality.
But in most cases it takes more than surgery to ensure patients receive the highest quality of life, both in preparation for surgery and recovery and rehabilitation after surgery. It’s for this reason that over recent years Interplast has increased its focus on encouraging and enabling patient referrals from surgeons to allied health staff.
